⏰ 76 DAYS ⏰

The White House needs new leadership immediately -- and we need to organize and get out the vote to ensure that we elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this fall. On Day 2 of the DNC -- Tracy Ellis Ross spoke truth, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta made LGBTQ history, dear friends Judy and Dennis Shepard casted Wyoming’s roll call vote and Dr. Jill Biden offered a deeply personal and powerful endorsement of her husband.

• A message of hope -- after the second night of the DNC, many across the nation felt renewed excitement after a virtual roll call vote officially nominated Joe Biden to be President of the United States.
  

• Joe Biden has promised to protect the Affordable Care Act and defend the right to affordable health care for all of us, while Trump is doing everything in his power to strip health care from millions of people.
• Yesterday, HRC responded to the U.S. Postmaster General’s decision to delay policy changes until after the November elections: “Stopping these destructive changes to the postal service is the right move, clearly responding to the massive public outcry from veterans seeking medication, seniors waiting for social security checks and LGBTQ people and others across the nation who have lost faith in their government,” said HRC President Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid).
• ICYMI -- HRC and NAACP hosted an event focused on highlighting the political contributions of women of color.

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS PLACED INCREASINGLY ADVERSE PRESSURE ON TRANSGENDER MENTAL HEALTH: As COVID-19 continues to upend lives across the country, it has taken deep toll on the transgender community, a population that already face higher rates of mental health issues, discrimination and abuse in medical care and disproportionate health and economic impact from COVID-19. More from The Washington Post.

• In the midsts of a pandemic, there is an alarming increase in violent killings and violent deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people. “The cumulative effect of that is really wiping out an entire generation of trans folks,” said HRC Director for Community Engagement, Transgender Justice Initiative Tori Cooper (@MsToriCooper1). “The effect that that has on those of us who are still here, on our psyches, on the types of relationships that we have with other folks -- that’s all part of an epidemic as well.” More from Vice.

WHAT WE’RE READING WEDNESDAY -- HOW QUEER WOMEN POWERED THE SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT: Scholars have found that many suffragists saw the freedom to choose whom and how they loved as tied deeply to the idea of voting rights. In many instances, the women who fought for representation were rebels living queer lives. More from The New York Times.

HHS’s HEALTHY PEOPLE 2030 FRAMEWORK RELEASED: Learn more here.

COVID-19 ISOLATED LGBTQ STUDENTS FROM THEIR COMMUNITY, VIRTUAL SCHOOL CONTINUES TO ADD CHALLENGES FOR LGBTQ KIDS: As COVID-19 closes campuses and other community spaces and centers, LGBTQ students will often return to unsupportive homes and unhealthy living situations. More from Tampa Bay Times.

• Check out the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s checklist to support LGBTQ students during distance learning.

HRC RESPONDS TO GOP SENATE CANDIDATE DONALD BOLDUC’S NEW CAMPAIGN AD FEATURING AN ANTI-LGBTQ SLUR: “Donald Bolduc’s use of a homophobic slur in his campaign ad is shameful and dangerous,” said HRC spokesperson Wyatt Ronan (@jwyattronan). “A campaign run on hate has no place in New Hampshire or anywhere in this country.” More from Metro Weekly.

LOCAL ACTIVISTS CONTINUE CALLS FOR MEXICO TO BAN SO-CALLED “CONVERSION THERAPY” TO PROTECT LGBTQ YOUTH: More from Reuters.

🇺🇸 IN THE STATES

TWO TRANS WOMEN IN MIAMI ALLEGE TRANSPHOBIC ABUSE AT HANDS OF POLICE AFTER RALLY AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY: Gabriela Amaya Cruz and Jae Bucci described police asking them inappropriate questions about their bodies. More from Miami Herald.

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